Today my message is “The Lord Will Look After You – Righteous Rescued”!
Last week we started our look at Psalm 34 with a review of verses 1-10 which I called “The Lord will look after You – Divine Deliverer”. Now we will look at David’s teaching about our lives and how to live them in Christ.
David does not “sugar coat” the believer’s life. He tells it like it is – truthfully and boldly! Get ready to have your world rocked a bit as we look at these last eleven verses of Psalm 34.
In the Bible Readers Handbook, Lawrence Richards gives us this outline:
“(vv. 11-14) Taking the role of a teacher, David urges his people (“children”) to do good,
(vv. 15-16) assuring them that God supervises the results of their choices and
(vv. 17-22) responds to the cry of the righteous. 1
Psalm 34:11-22 NIV
11 Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Also, Richards tells us, “Here the phrase means ‘to show respect for’ God…Learning to ‘fear the Lord’ means in part to respect God enough that we choose to do what is right and leave the results to God.” 2
12 Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,
Ecc.3:12-13 NIV
12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.
13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God.
13 keep your tongue from evil
James 1:26 NIV
If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. (Also, James 3:5-10)
and your lips from speaking lies.
1 Pet 2:21-22 NIV
21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
14 Turn from evil and do good;
Isa. 1:17 NIV
17 Learn to do right; seek justice. Encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.
John Calvin gives us this take on it: “The first step in the work of repentance is, that the sinner forsake the vices to which he is addicted, and renounce his former manner of life; and the second, that he frame his behavior according to right.” 3
seek peace and pursue it.
Rom. 12:18 NIV
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Heb.12:14 NIV
Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.)
15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are attentive to their cry;
Job 23:10 NIV
But he knows the way that I take;
when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.)16 but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
The New Bible Commentary states: “There is the choice of wickedness and its inevitable doom; by it’s very antagonism to the good, the practice of evil will entail the ruin of its guilty adherents.” 4
17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
Matthew Henry says, “It is the constant practice of real believers, when in distress, to cry unto God, and it is their constant comfort that he hears them.” 5
18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit,
19 A righteous man may have many troubles,
2 Tim.3:12 NIV
12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted) but the Lord delivers him from them all;
God walks through the troubles with us, carries us many a time, and brings us through to greater times for us.
20 he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.
John 19:36 NIV
36 These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his “Christ” bones will be broken)
21 Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
In the “Old Testament Survey” I found the note that “The words ‘righteous’ and ‘righteousness’ occur more than 130 times in the 150 chapters of Psalms. 6
22 The Lord redeems his servants;
no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.
Luke 1:68 NIV
68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come and has redeemed his people.)
When we become one of God’s family, we start a new life with different challenges, different paths and different people to build relationships with.
God promises to be with us always and to provide for our needs.
As the Daily Bread October 27 puts it “Our needs will never exhaust God’s supply”.
The Lord Will Look After You! God has rescued the righteous!
Thank You, Lord, for the promise that you will meet our needs. Help us not to fear or doubt. We’re grateful that You’re watching over us and that our cries for help reach your ear. (Daily Bread October 27)
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